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The purpose of this paper is to describe how non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can be used in the commission of financial crime, including money laundering and crypto-fraud schemes, using the framework of the Space Transition Theory.

A literature review relating the Space Transition Theory to crime vulnerabilities related to NFTs is conducted and practical examples illustrating NFT schemes are provided.

The authors find that the Space Transition Theory explains the evolution of financial crimes into the NFT space. The transformation of the art industry from the physical to the virtual space through NFTs underlies the criminal activity surrounding them. NFTs enable crime because of the flexibility, dissociative anonymity, lack of deterrence and anonymity.

Criminals can easily take advantage of the users’ limited knowledge of blockchain to defraud them of their money or tokens. These risks accentuate the need to adopt appropriate measures to augment the accountability of NFT transactions. Until such interventions are implemented, the NFT market remains a highly viable space for the perpetration of financial crimes.

The dynamic nature of the cyberspace and fast-past underlying technology provide a greater chance to escape than crimes committed in the physical space. The state of security on NFT platforms has elicited concerns from diverse quotas. NFTs pose significant money laundering risks because of the lack of appropriate regulatory mechanisms, generating a need for enhanced oversight and enforcement of sectors of the economy in physical space vulnerable to abuse in the NFT space, including entities such as art galleries, museums, sports teams and luxury brands.

The Space Transition Theory is also supported in that norms and values regarding ethics and criminal actions in the physical space do not transfer to cyber space.

The novelty aspect of this research is in applying the Space Transition Theory to financial crime schemes based on NFTs.

The purpose of this study is to describe the evolution of fraud schemes with historically conducted with fiat money in physical space to the crypto-assets in digital space as follows: ransomware, price manipulation, pump and dump schemes, misrepresentation, spoofing and Ponzi Schemes. To explain how fraud schemes have evolved alongside digital asset markets, this study applies the space transition theory.

The methodology used is a review of the media regarding six digital asset fraud schemes that have evolved from physical space to virtual space that are currently operational, as well as a review of the literature regarding the space transition theory.

This paper finds that the digital space and digital assets may facilitate pseudonymous criminal behavior in the present regulatory environment.

The field is rapidly evolving, however this study finds that the conversion from physical to virtual space obfuscates the criminal activity, facilitating anonymity of the perpetrators, and creating new challenges for the legal and regulatory environment.

This paper finds that the digital space and digital assets may facilitate pseudonymous criminal behavior in the present regulatory environment. An understanding of the six crypto-asset fraud schemes described in the paper is useful for anti-financial crime professionals and regulators focusing on deterrence.

The space transition theory offers an explanation for why digital space leads criminals to be better positioned to conduct financial crime in virtual space relative to physical space. This offers insights into behavior of digital asset fraudster behavior that could help limit the social damage caused by crypto-asset fraud.

To the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to detail the evolution of fraud schemes with fiat money in physical space to their corresponding schemes with digital assets in physical space. This study is also the first to integrate the space transition theory into an analysis of digital asset fraud schemes.

This paper aims to propose a new concept of product manufacturing mode which takes physical manufacturing theory as the basic starting point. In this work, the authors intend to systematically define the basic connotation and extension of physical manufacturing, and sort out the typical characteristics of physical manufacturing, in order to propose the general concept of physical manufacturing.

How to study the combination of physics, mathematics, mechanics and other disciplines with the manufacturing disciplines, and how to elevate modern manufacturing science to a new height, has always been a problem for scientists in the field of manufacturing and engineering construction people to deeply think about. Therefore, on the basis of tracing the development of physics and combining the attributes and functions of manufacturing, the authors propose the basic concept of physical manufacturing. On this basis, the authors further clarify the connotation and extension, theoretical basis and technical system of physical manufacturing, reveal the basic problem domain of research and construct the theoretical foundation of physical manufacturing research, which are of great theoretical value and practical significance to adjust and optimize the manufacturing industry structure, improve the quality of manufacturing industry development and promote the green development of manufacturing industry.

The research on the basic theory and technical system of physical manufacturing will therefore broaden the way of thinking and make a better understanding of manufacturing science and technology, which will promote the development of manufacturing industry to some extent.

On the basis of continuous improvement of the basic theory and conceptual system of physical manufacturing, the physical manufacturing technology will become more and more perfect; physical manufacturing system and intelligent manufacturing system will become the mainstream of next-generation manufacturing system.

“It should also be noted that the objective of convergence and equal distribution, including across under-performing areas, can hinder efforts to generate growth. Contrariwise, the objective of competitiveness can exacerbate regional and social inequalities, by targeting efforts on zones of excellence where projects achieve greater returns (dynamic major cities, higher levels of general education, the most advanced projects, infrastructures with the heaviest traffic, and so on). If cohesion policy and the Lisbon Strategy come into conflict, it must be borne in mind that the former, for the moment, is founded on a rather more solid legal foundation than the latter” European Commission (2005, p. 9)Adaptation of Cohesion Policy to the Enlarged Europe and the Lisbon and Gothenburg Objectives.

Transitions – as a focus of study – have been missing from information behaviour research. The purpose of this paper is to explore the topic of transitions – their characteristics and influences, the related concept of liminality and Transitions Theory – and what it can contribute to the field of information behaviour. This exploration includes the application of liminality and Transitions Theory to an empirical study of participants making the transition from doctoral student to early career academic.

In addition to an extended literature review, this paper reports on a qualitative study that used constructivist grounded theory methodology for data collection and analysis. Early career academics were followed for a five- to seven-month period and data were collected using interviews and “check-ins”. Transitions Theory and liminality were used to guide the analysis.

Three important findings were highlighted: the complicating effects of being in a liminal space on information behaviour; the changing information needs of those undergoing a transition; and the importance of comparison as a way of using information to understand new situations. A revised model of Transitions Theory (Meleis et al., 2000) is also proposed, to incorporate information behaviour.

This paper demonstrates that by examining information behaviour over longer periods of time and by making transitions a focus of research, new understandings and insight can be gained into what information individual needs, how they find, share and use that information. This research demonstrates that information behaviour research adds important elements to the study of transitions and, conversely, that transitions (and Transitions Theory) add important elements to the study of information behaviour.

The purpose of this paper is to establish a version of a theorem that originated from population genetics and has been later adopted in evolutionary computation theory that will lead to novel Monte‐Carlo sampling algorithms that provably increase the AI potential.

In the current paper the authors set up a mathematical framework, state and prove a version of a Geiringer‐like theorem that is very well‐suited for the development of Mote‐Carlo sampling algorithms to cope with randomness and incomplete information to make decisions.

This work establishes an important theoretical link between classical population genetics, evolutionary computation theory and model free reinforcement learning methodology. Not only may the theory explain the success of the currently existing Monte‐Carlo tree sampling methodology, but it also leads to the development of novel Monte‐Carlo sampling techniques guided by rigorous mathematical foundation.

The theoretical foundations established in the current work provide guidance for the design of powerful Monte‐Carlo sampling algorithms in model free reinforcement learning, to tackle numerous problems in computational intelligence.

Establishing a Geiringer‐like theorem with non‐homologous recombination was a long‐standing open problem in evolutionary computation theory. Apart from overcoming this challenge, in a mathematically elegant fashion and establishing a rather general and powerful version of the theorem, this work leads directly to the development of novel provably powerful algorithms for decision making in the environment involving randomness, hidden or incomplete information.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.